The present invention relates to a color printer which can perform multi-color printing as well as monochromatic printing, particularly printing of computer graphics, and a color printer having a ribbon control device mounted thereon to enable economic use of a ribbon in the color printer.
As a printer capable of printing a plurality of colors, there is a serial type transfer printer using a multi-color ribbon in which a plurality of colors, for example Y, M and C, are successively coated with a length of one line print for each color on a single ribbon A as shown in FIG. 1. H denotes a head, and P denotes a continuous sheet of paper.
In the above-described serial type thermal transfer printer, ordinarily, three colors, yellow, magenta and cyan, are used. One line printing is performed with these colors, and printing of seven colors including a gathering coating is performed.
This conventional color printer has a disadvantage in that when a plurality of colors are separately coated, not only an unnecessary color portion is wasted, but also when other colors are printed, it takes much winding time.
Further, a special ink coating device is necessary to manufacture a multi-color ribbon. Therefore, there is often a limitation in procuring a multi-color ribbon.
Moreover, the conventional color printer has a problem in that it is difficult to put the printing of computer graphics to practical use.